Howard Lake vs Waverly Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Waverly Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Howard Lake (D, Poor). Both are in Wright County, Minnesota.
Howard Lake and Waverly Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. The grades are meaningfully apart: Waverly Lake grades a B while Howard Lake grades a D. That two-letter spread reflects real underlying differences — different watershed inputs, different depth profiles, or different monitoring rigor.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Waverly Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Howard Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft.
Waverly Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Howard Lake | Waverly Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 4 ft | 7.4 ft |
| Phosphorus | 60 µg/L | 28 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 39 ft | 70.5 ft |
| Surface Area | 745 acres | 493.99 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 1 | 1 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Waverly Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Howard Lake's Grade D. Water clarity: 7.4 ft vs 4 ft. For fishing diversity, Waverly Lake also leads with 1 species.